Meet Abner Kincaid, a 59-year-old Vietnam vet—divorced, foul-mouthed, Camel-smoking, Jack-Daniel’s-drinking, and womanizing pastor of The Church of the Fiery Word of God, which he notes is a “cathedral for nitwits.” We follow him through his history with his service to his country, his pursuit of divinity school, and his training and work through the Holy Roller tent revival circuit. In his incarnation of pastor at Fiery Word, we watch him try to make up stolen money from the church while scamming a parishioner, Brother Thomas Jenkins. Kincaid and his friend, George Granger, start a new business on his useless farmland—the Lord’s Cross-Training Farm with its Stations of the Cross parcourse. Through his various scams, he has no desire to change his ways until some events force him to look at himself. But who is he at his core?

With a unique storyline which is always humorous and sometimes thought-provoking, the author weaves a tale of debauchery, fun, sorrow, and healing. The story’s plot is ever-changing with the changing of Kincaid, who is a character of unmatched irreverence. But how do an embezzler, a murderer, a Jewish psychiatrist, an elderly, dementia-impaired man, a bunch of Vietnamese Buddhists, and various deaths impact this non-believing minister? This is the focus of this delightful tale—a tale that will have the reader laughing as well as crying. It’s a must-read for those who love well-written stories with delightful characters, fake hell-and-damnation religion, hedonism, sarcasm, and brotherly love (both real and religious patter). Entwined with a story of healing and spiritual growth, the ending is as beautiful as it is surprising. Hopefully, we’ll read more from this new author.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

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